Saturday, October 6, 2007

Chicken Spaghetti

I haven't been posting much at all, and I have a ton of recipes to share... I'm setting aside tomorrow to go through my files and share what's been successful lately.

I'm in need of a creamy chicken spaghetti recipe. I've tried several out there, but none are up to snuff. Any ideas?

Simply yummy

Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. pork sausage
6 eggs
2 C. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
4 to 6 slices bread
1 C. grated cheddar

Cook sausage and drain well. Beat eggs and add milk, salt, and mustard. Fit bread into greased 9 x 13. Spread sausage over bread and sprinkle cheese on top of sausage. Pour egg mixture over everything. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serves 8.

Sometimes I will add a small can of diced green chillies and some southwest seasoning to this to give it some spice. This is great to make when you have a brunch or breakfast guests.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Unbeatable Banana Bread


2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C (1 stick) butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 med to large very ripe bananas
1/2 C sour cream
Sift dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, cream sugar & butter together then add eggs one at a time mixing between each addition until well combined, then add vanilla & mix. Set aside. In another bowl mash the bananas & mix in sour cream. Into the butter mix, add 1/3 of the dry mix & stir in with a wooden spoon*. Add the rest of the ingredients in this order: 1/2 the banana mix, 1/2 the remaining dry mix, the rest of the banana mix, the rest of the dry mix, any add-ins desired (I like to put in dried cranberries or dried berry mix). Line loaf pan with waxed paper leaving enough to drape over the sides. Pour batter into pan & bake at 325 for 75 minutes or until bread tests done with a toothpick. Set bread on cooling rack for 20 minutes, then use waxed paper to pull it out of the pan. Peel paper from sides of the bread & allow it to cool completely before slicing.
*mixing with the wooden spoon prevents over mixing & keeps the bread from becoming chewy.
This is my favorite breakfast! Oh, and I rarely let it cool completely before I cut into it...can't wait that long!

Spicy Meatloaf

1/2 lb of ground beef
1/2 c finely ground bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 lb of mild Italian sausage
1/2 T of Worcestershire Sauce
1 t of Tabasco Sauce
1/8 c of dried onion

Mix above ingredients together. Spray a bread loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put meat mixture into bread loaf pan and put into 375 oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

(We've frozen this after making it and then put it in the oven at 200-250 to reheat it) Kids love this as leftover and make meatloaf sandwiches.

Meat Balls & Mushroom Soup

Meatballs:
1 lb of lean ground beef (can be substituted for ground chicken/turkey)
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 egg
2 t of garlic powder
1 t of oregano
1/8 c diced or minced onion

3 T of cooking oil
1/4 c flour

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion and oregano, and roll into balls the size of walnuts. Heat oil in skillet until hot. Roll meatballs into flour and place in hot oil. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked through careful to rotate sides of meatballs.

Gravy:
1-10oz can of cream of mushroom soup.
1-10oz can of milk (optional)

I heat a can of mushroom soup without the milk (it's thick) until a slow boil. Some may not like it that thick and wish to dilute it with milk.

I serve meatballs and gravy over rice or boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes. Spices (oregano, garlic) and onions are optional.

Buttermilk Pancakes that Will Rock Your World

This is my dad's recipe for buttermilk pancakes - it is his adaptation of the Betty Crocker recipe. There are a few ingredients that are marked as OBWC - this stands for "Optional But World Class" - that's my dad's designation. I have to say I don't include them, but dad does when he makes them, and they are SUPER good.

Into a mixing bowl put:
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup wheat bran
1 heaping Tbsp cornmeal (OBWC)
1 heaping Tbsp cream of rice (OBWC)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

And stir up real nice until everything is mixed just the way you like it...

THEN

Into your blender jar put:
2 eggs (or 1 egg and up to 2 or 3 egg whites, it's a protein thing)
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (says my dad: "or butter but NOT MARGARINE! It'll clog your veins and make any circulatory activities much more difficult with the passing years. Trust me on this one... or not...it's your breakfast.")

Whirl it around until the color is uniform.

NOW

Pour the liquid into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix lightly.

AND NOW - make sure your frying pan is nice and hot. Film the pan with oil (that's per dad - I use cooking spray, and they come out fine... )... Add about 3 tbsp of batter to the pan for each pancake.

Cook like you would cook pancakes (seriously, I can get specific, but I'm tired of typing!)

Enjoy your breakfast!!!

Yogurt Crunch

I make this for breakfast every once in a while.

1 container of flavored yogurt
3/4 c cheerios

In a small bowl combine cheerios and flavored yogurt. Serve with fruit.

Breakfast Burritos

Prep Time:2 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 minutes
Serves 1

1 carb-right tortilla
1/2 c egg beaters
1 wedge of laughing cow lite
2 slices of morning star veggie bacon
1/4 c sliced/diced mushrooms

Spread laughing cow lite onto tortilla. Cook veggie bacon according to directions and crumble after cooling Cook egg adding mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Remove and place on tortilla. Can serve with salsa, hot sauce.

Substitutions can be made and additional veggies can be added if desired. I sometimes substitute the veggie bacon with veggie sausage.

Chocolate Gravy

Okay, I admit it, I haven't been reading much but it has been really busy and I've had a cold. So I don't even know what recipes are before this one. But I'm stoked about this new blog Farmwife has started and I want to be an active part of the community. So when I got Farmwife's email giving this weekend's assignment, being the ever the good student, I wanted to get one in before I forgot, and as soon as I hit "publish" I'm going to go read the rest and try to get caught up here at blogspot.

This is one that some may say "eeeewwww" to (I think, my in-laws do). But like FW's husband eating icecream on chili - it is our family tradition to eat biscuits and chocolate gravy for breakfast on special occasions. I personally love the stuff. So without further adu... here's the L-family recipe for chocolate gavy.

1 c. sugar
2 Tbls. cocoa
1 Tbls. plain flour
1/2 c. milk
1 Tbls. margarine

Mix first 3 ingredients. Add milk. Cook like fudge 'til mixture begins to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon margarine and mix well before serving. Serve hot over buttered biscuits.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Yes. I love sandwiches. I do, I do, I do.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)
salt n pepper
1 onion, finely chopped (so so sad, my Hubby hates onions, so I don't get to use them)
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 1/3 cups BBQ sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Hot pepper sauce
6 kaiser or french rolls, split
6 oz shredd monterey jack cheese

Season chicken with s&p and place in heavy pot with the onion, garlic and about 1 1/2 cups of water. Add the BBQ sauce, vinegar and a few drops of the hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through - about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks.
Boil the sauce, skimming occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add shredded chicken to the sauce and heat through. Spoon mixture onto the rolls and top with cheese.

Super Easy Black Bean Soup

When fall and winter come, I like nothing more than whipping up a batch of soup for dinner and just having the warmth of comfort food in every bite. Yum. I LOVE soup. I especially love this recipe for Black Bean Soup - basically because it's SO easy! I have yet to find out how it freezes - I have a container of it in my freezer, but haven't tried thawing it out yet. Typically, I serve this with either corn muffins or crushed tortilla chips.


1 cup jarred fresh tomato salsa
2 15.5 oz cans of black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cups chicken broth (this is about one can - I tend to use the low sodium version)
Sour cream for garnish - optional

Heat salsa in a large sauce pan over medium heat, stirring frequently for about five minutes. Stir in the beans and the broth, then heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then spoon half of the soup into a blender and puree {NOTE: Since the soup will be steaming, do NOT put the lid on tightly, vent it a tiny bit or the pressure will make the top pop off the blender and soup fly anywhere... not that I know that from personal experience or anything.} Return the pureed soup to saucepan and heat thru. Serve with sour cream and additional salsa, if desired.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Homemade McMuffins

My family loves McDonald's but I decided to make it at home instead. Cheaper. This recipe is to make one.


1 English muffin (toasted)
1 t butter/margarine
1 slice of Canadian bacon or we make ground sausage patties
1 egg
1 slice American cheese


I set my burner on medium and spray Pam in a non-stick frying pan. I got these for my birthday last year from the kids. See picture below:

I spray these (egg rings) with Pam as well. Cook egg until done. On side of pan I heat the slice of Canadian Bacon. During this time I toast my muffin and butter it, putting the cheese on it to melt then Canadian Bacon or Sausage and egg.

Ranch Bacon Chicken

Ok I just created this tonight. I didn't have a recipe but threw it together and it worked. Kids and hubby absolutely loved it.

Bake 375
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 40-45 minutes
Serves 4

1 c finely ground bread crumbs
3 T of ranch dressing mix
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3-5 T crumbled bacon

In shallow bowl or plate, mix ranch dressing mix and bread crumbs. Wet chicken with water on both sides. Dredge chicken through crumb mixture. Place in 13x9 non stick pan (or any non-stick pan) Sprinkle bacon over chicken and place in oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Chicken comes out tender and juicy.

Since is the first time creating this I don't know about freezing, but I couldn't imagine it hurting since you are using water to wet the chicken vs. egg or milk.

FarmWife's Chicken Pie

1 cooked chicken or 4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Family size can of Veg-All Original Mixed Vegtables, drained (or two small cans)
1 small can cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
1 small can cream of celery soup (again, 98% fat free)
1/2 C. milk
salt & pepper to taste
2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix prepared according to directions

Shred chicken & combine with soups, milk, salt & pepper, and Veg-All in medium sized bowl. Spoon mix into 9x13 baking dish and top with cornbread mix. Bake at 425 for approx. 30 minutes or until cornbread is baked through and golden brown.

**Notes: I realize this is not a traditional pot pie (my kids shortened it to 'chicken pie'), but we love the cornbread topping. In the original recipe it says to ONLY use Jiffy or Martha White cornbread mix. I've never tried it with anything else.

**When ever a recipe calls for cooked chicken, I put a whole chicken in the crock-pot with enough water to cover the night before and cook it on low all night. The next day I pull the meat off the bone and use it in place of chicken breast. I think it gives a slightly richer flavor, and is much cheaper.

In fact, I'm getting ready to put this in my oven now.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Taco Soup

First of all I love this site. Very good for the beginner or expert cooker.

I don't know how to add it to the side, but it looks good! I love the pics.

http://thepioneerwomancooks.com/




Taco Soup

1lbs of Ground beef
2 medium Onions chopped
2 Cans of Tomatos- One Rotel and one plain- I use my homemade salsa sometimes for this.
1 can of Corn
1 can Hominy
2 Can of Chili beans
1 pkg of Taco Seasoning
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Dressing Mix
Tomato juice

Brown Meat and onion, drain off any grease, add to a big pot. I usually put the taco and Ranch packets in first. Add all other ingedients and do not drain the corn, hominy, chili beans or tomatos. Add as much tomoto juice as you like. We like it soupy here. Bring to a boil and serve.

Depending on how spicy you like things you can use more rotel to make it spicy. It is suitable for kids at the current receipe. When I use my homemade salsa it is spicy.

Serve with Fritos, Doritos, and shredded cheese.

Casserole Freezing Tips

I was thinking about our various situations, and the things we all may be doing, and thought this might help some of you, if you're not already doing it!

Again, from the mouth of my mother!

We would always take out all of our 13x9 pans, line them plastic cling wrap, and then with enough foil to be able to fold over and seal(or just with foil, your call), then make a multiple batch (depending on how many pans you have - we had 4), and split the ingredients equally among the pans. Once they were full, we'd fold over the foil and seal, then write on it what it was, and the cooking instructions, and put all the extras into the freezer. After they were frozen ( 8 - 12 hours ), we'd simply turn over the pan, and have a 13x9 casserole all wrapped up, ready to be cooked at a later date! This would then free up the pan for use another time, or to do another batch of a different casserole!

You can now get the 2 gallon and bigger zip top plastic bags, which provide an even better and longer lasting protection. You can simply slip your frozen, foil covered casserole into the bag, write on the bag, and stand or stack them up.

When you're ready to use, simply take the frozen casserole out, pop it into the pan still in the foil, and bake according to your directions! The greatest part in my mind??? The easy clean up after dinner that night! The foil means the pan may just need to be rinsed out, not scrubbed!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

This is a recipe my mom stumbled over in a magazine ages ago, that we've morphed according to our own family's appetites and time commitments. It doesn't need much in the way of side dishes, unless you want a salad, or some applesauce. It can be frozen before baking, and makes great leftovers for lunch or dinner, as long as you can reheat it!


Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 4 or more

Ingredients:

8 oz egg noodles
2 C cooked, shredded chicken*
1 medium onion, diced
1 16 oz bag frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans is a good mix)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 C shredded cheese
1 C bread crumbs
butter

Pre-Heat oven to 350. In a large pot, cook noodles, drain. While the water is coming to a boil for the noodles, and they're cooking, in a large bowl, mix together ingredients 2 - 6 and set aside. After the noodles are drained, mix those into the bowl. Gracefully dump the contents of your bowl into a 13 x 9 casserole, cover with foil, and pop into the oven for 45 minutes. After 40 minutes or so, melt a couple TBSP of butter, and mix into the bread crumbs. (They should be somewhat moist, so they will sort of clump together.) Remove the foil from the casserole, sprinkle the bread crumbs over top, and put back into the oven UNCOVERED for 15 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden.

* the chicken can be replaced with the canned corned beef, or drained tuna. I've never used ground beef or stew meat, but would probably change the celery soup for mushroom if I were to use beef.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Sandwich Thing

This is not an actual recipe, just something we do in our house...

We don't have a fancy-schmancy panini maker - but who doesn't love a hot sandwich with melty cheese?! Sometimes, it doesn't get much more fun that a cool looking grilled cheese made in the waffle maker, or a hot turkey and cheese that we've faux-panini'd on the Foreman grill.

Typically, I buy crusty rolls or bread (depending on what floats your boat - I love most bread, pretty much - but am partial to French and sourdough), pick the cheese that floats your boat (Hubby loves provolone, me - not so much), and the meat...

It's super fast. Super easy. And yummy.